


「northern lights」

by violetsoju



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:14:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29733732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetsoju/pseuds/violetsoju
Summary: Sakusa often finds himself spending his nights under blinding lights and loud music that he utterly detests. but one day he finds a shimmering light within the dark, cold walls, and maybe the place he calls hell isn't that insufferable after all
Relationships: Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	「northern lights」

Northern lights were always a sight to behold. Colours of the rainbow took turns to display their artistic talent, weaving seamlessly into one another as they painted the sky, putting on a magnificent show for those below and above. They could awaken the sun from its slumber to gleam the dark canvas with strides of red and orange, or coax it back to dreamland by draping a curtain of blue and green over it. If they were feeling adventurous, colour palettes that were deemed jarring would be explored to create a bold statement, which were always a visually gratifying end product.

Given the opportunity, such beauty should be admired in a place that knows no boundaries, where the harshness of the frosty winter air that bit through the layers and layers of clothing into one’s skin would all vanish once they were enticed by the allurement laid before them. It was as if the dance of the aurora lights illuminating the midnight blue sky were a ray of hope in midst of chaos surrounding them.

Many often sought the alternative to witness and experience such picturesque spectacle. With a few tweaks here and there, it is possible for everyone to have a near equivalent experience. Add some loud banging music, waves of intoxicated bodies sliding against each other, thin fabric sticking on the surface of skins from the hot and humid air, whiffs of tobacco smothering the musty smell of sweat, and there you have it. Oh, along with flashing and blinding neon lights bouncing around the walls of the confined space.

Sakusa would pay thousands to see the real deal instead of this ridiculous faux. How was this even considered an alternative in the first place?

To him, nightclubs were hell, not the paradise others found it to be. He couldn’t comprehend the fun and excitement in staying up all night with cheap booze, keeping the unnecessary adrenaline pumping. Especially having to shout over the blasting music just to say a few words to each other. The whole thing sounded exhausting already.

It wasn’t that he was too old for this and not knowing how to have fun as a young man, he just simply knew his preferences. Sakusa would rather spend the wee hours catching up on beauty sleep. Enjoying a few drinks at a bar or pub, preferably with some jazz music, would be perfect to destress and chill.

So why was he in this so-called hell of his if he detested it so much?

Because of one fucking dumb blonde.

Literally, blonde.

That one blonde that was glaringly noticeable in the sea of bobbing heads below.

That one blonde that needs to be taken care of like a child despite being a full-grown ass man.

If he had the money, Sakusa would have opted for a studio instead of sharing an apartment with someone else. He prayed that his housemate would be on the same wavelength as him, but god decided to spice up his life. Cue Miya Atsumu.

That particular mcd french fries ad pretty much sums it up: Tall, blonde and gorgeous. Decent grades, decent personality, decent guy. An overall nice guy to be honest.

But if Sakusa had to nit-pick, he could make a small list about the minor flaws hidden behind the oh-so-charming front of the blond. Leaving used cups or plates untouched in the sink, leaving the toilet seat up after using, or flooding the entryway with his crapload pile of shoes stacked against each other.

The worst of all? His love for partying.

“C’mon, Omi-Omi. Aren’t yer drained from all the assignments and tests? Just relax and have fun!“

Sakusa wasn’t one to judge the preference of others. You like to party to destress? It’s cool. But waking up to an apartment that’s barely recognisable from all the destructive mess made wasn’t cool. At all.

Especially when he was the one to clean up the catastrophic state left behind. Sometimes Sakusa wondered how a human being was able to make such a mess.

Hence, a deal was made. Atsumu was free to go have fun, but with a few conditions. One, Sakusa will tag along to act as his personal bouncer. Two, a booth must be provided. Three, he becomes Cinderella once it strikes 3.

Atsumu could have fun and would be taken care of, and Sakusa could be free of his cleaning duties the next day. Sounded like a win-win situation for them both.

Thus, the reason behind the wavy-haired male with a look of disdain becoming one with the soft leather cushions in a dimly lit booth, occupied with a phone in hand. He had to constantly remind himself that he was the one who came up with the idea, so there was no room for any complains.

A waving hand suddenly blocked the view of his phone screen. He looked up to find a girl around his age standing in front of him. She opened her mouth to say something inaudible, and he couldn’t make out the words as the movement of her lips were shadowed by dim lights.

She leaned in slightly, clutching her crossbody bag close to her side upon the lack of response. “Miya Atsumu?” she half shouted.

Oh.

Sakusa nodded. She thanked him and took a few seats away from him, slumping onto the cushion in the same fashion.

It was normal for random strangers linked to Atsumu by chance to make their way to the reserved area, usually to take a breather from the dance floor. Sakusa considered them to have struck it lucky as it wasn’t your usual day to score a spot upstairs. In fact, he himself was lucky thanks to Atsumu too. If it wasn’t for his honey coated sweet talks and frequent visits, Sakusa would still be stuck downstairs trying to keep himself sane from being jostled by those who can’t handle their drinks despite having a booth.

He had almost forgot her presence that he thought she had left. He snuck a glance to the side to find the girl resting her head on the top of the cushion, staring into space. It was unlikely for him to be left undisturbed. A typical night at the table with strangers was him ignoring the attempted flirts thrown in his way and unwanted touches on his skin.

The both of them minded their own business in midst the ruckus around them, focused on their phones. 

The smell of cancerous tobacco drifted in the air. Sakusa pulled up his mask higher on his nose bridge, silently cursing under his breath. The table next to them couldn’t be bothered whether the smoke burning from the cancer sticks between their fingers had begun to turn the air into an ashtray.

The girl coughed, peering behind her shoulders while muttering to herself. She turned towards Sakusa with her hand covering her nose, back facing the source of the cigarette odour.

Sakusa felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a phone shoved in his face.

「Do you have an extra face mask to spare? 」

Huh, interesting.

He raised his eyebrows at the question. This was unexpected.

He rummaged through his clutch and surprisingly, found an extra face mask. She thanked him and heaved a long, weary sigh after putting it on.

That was their first meeting.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Sakusa’s eyes gleamed with a glint of surprise when they met again during the next visit. He remembered her because of the little parade of silver and gold dangling on her right ear that reflected against the neon lights as she tucked her hair. And the way she respected his personal space. She nodded at him in acknowledgement and took her place a few seats away from him as before.

He had lost count how many times he had refreshed his feed until there was nothing new left to see when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

「You’re gonna be here until Miya leaves, right? 」 the phone screen read.

He nodded at her. She retracted her hand and tapped on her phone before showing it to him again.

「Great. Let me know when they’re done for the night in case I’m not back then, will you? 」

Back? Back from where? Maybe he had misjudged her from their first meeting; maybe she was one of those typical party goers after all.

The lines between Sakusa’s eyebrows turned into amusement as the girl fished out an eye mask and a pair of earbuds from her bag, making herself comfortable on the leather cushion as she blocked out the world without a care. How could she trust someone that she had just met for the second time? In this setting in particular?

Some of the patrons that passed by chuckled at the sight, which were quickly followed by them meekly retreating their phones, slightly bowing as a gesture of apology when they were met with a deadly glare by the man seated near her.

He wondered what she had up her sleeves if they were to cross paths again.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Sakusa found the sides of his lips curling up gently the third time they met.

This time she brought a clutch almost similar to his instead of a small crossover bag. They made their greetings and carried on with their respective businesses.

He couldn’t resist his curiosity and took a side glance at her. She had earbuds stuck in her ears, eyes glued to the tablet in her hands. The video playing on the screen seemed familiar, and after taking a closer look, it dawned on him that it was the thriller series that he was currently watching. It was the new episode of the week that he hadn’t had the time to watch yet. As much as Sakusa wanted to catch up on the new episode, he couldn’t bring himself to ask the girl a few seats away from him.

She must’ve felt the intense staring burning on her as she tapped the screen to pause the video and tilted her head to face him. She pointed at her tablet and tipped her head towards it.

Sakusa interpreted the gesture as, _“Do you want to watch as well?”_.

He nodded, again, as he always did. She rummaged through her clutch and appeared with another pair or earbuds. After pairing it with the tablet, she handed him the earbuds and placed the tablet on the table in front of them. Hold up, where did the tablet holder come from?

And boy, those were some good quality noise cancelling earbuds.

Why did she have two pairs of earbuds, though?

She was nice enough to start the episode from the top again, and they both enjoyed it in their own comfortable little bubble.

By the time the episode ended, Sakusa had lost track of the number of times he held his breath in suspense. It was a great episode as always and only if there were two episodes per week, his suffering would maybe cease by just a little.

He returned the earbuds to her with a nod of gratitude as she kept the electronic devices back in her clutch.

Racing thoughts flooded his head as he sunk his head behind the plush cushion.

_What exactly does the serial killer wants to achieve? Who’ll be the next target? Is the serial killer actually the brother of the male lead?_

His thoughts were put on hold with a yet another light tap on his shoulder.

「Do you think that the brother may possibly be the culprit? 」

Sakusa’s eyebrows perked up at the question. This time he reached out for his phone and opened the notes app.

「It may be, given the clues that are implicitly directed to him. But he was at home when the second murder happened. So that kinda rules him out.」

The girl tapped her chin in thought. 「That’s true. Maybe someone’s pulling the strings behind through him then. Didn’t take you to be a fan of triller though.」

「What do you think I watch then?」

「Idk, maybe some sci-fi documentary or the weather forecast lol.」

Sakusa snorted and narrowed his eyes at her, which she shrugged in return.

「Gimme your email address. Let’s make things easier.」

He scoffed. She really never failed to surprise him.「Is this a new way of hitting on people?」

She rolled her eyes.「This would be a good arm workout alternative but I’m lazy and don’t have the energy to.」

Emailing one another at this time of age with just a few seats apart was not quite practical but, interesting. A notification popped up on the top of his phone screen.

[🌙 – Invitation to edit]

\--------------

🌙 1

**You use italics and I’ll use bold**

_Why don’t we use colours instead of font_

**I don’t trust my eyesight under these blinding lights**

_Fair enough_

_Isn’t getting my socials easier than creating a google docs?_

**And having the both of them grill us like there’s no tomorrow once they know abt it? No thanks**

\--------------

Sakusa squinted his eyes at the thought of Atsumu hovering around him like a puppy asking nonsensical questions. Definitely not a chance.

\--------------

_You got a point_

**Plus I don’t know if this is the last time we meet each other. It’ll be weird to have someone that I probably may not see again in the future appear on my feed, knowing about my life**

_Same_

**Tbh I never thought we would be meeting again. Looks like your friend and mine have a thing going on huh**

_Fifth time’s the charm for Atsumu. But I’ve never seen it go beyond that till now_

**I’m guessing you’re the damage control services of the blond?**

_The same must go to you too I suppose_

**Course mates?**

_Housemates. He wouldn’t be any of my business if he wasn’t sharing the same roof as me_

**That makes two of us**

_Why are you here and not down there with your friend?_

**What makes you think I’m up for that when I’m here typing in google docs instead of using my notes app**

_Point taken. You even trusted a person whom you just met for the second time and slept_

**Fun fact: I continued sleeping till morning when I got home that night**

_Who the hell sleeps in a night club?_

**Me. Except I’m not one of those passed out drunkards.**

\--------------

For once, time seemed to pass in a flash. It had been two hours when Atsumu and his companion stumbled before them, smiling drunkenly, reeking of alcohol and sweat.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It would be a lie if Sakusa wasn’t anticipating her tonight. Even Atsumu noticed the subtle change in his attitude.

“This is new. Ye actually agreed to tonight without being the grumpy ol’ man ye are. Found yerself a new friend?” Atsumu gave a low whistle, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up before I change my mind.” he snapped, adjusting his face mask as they made their way to the bustling hotspot.

Something was different in the air when she made her entrance too. Was it the way she added a little hop in her steps? Was it the way he caught a flash of glee gleaming in her eyes? Or was it the way his lips tugged on the sides a little too much to match the mischievous smile flashed his way?

Either way, this new side of her wasn’t bad at all.

She slumped against the soft cushions, humming in delight. After taking in the frenzied atmosphere before her, she whipped out her phone and waved it to Sakusa.

\--------------

🌙 2

**We meet again**

_Someone’s a little giddy tonight. Had a few drinks before coming here?_

**Nah, something even better than that. Smacked a bitch right in the face so hard she probably yeeted herself to the moon**

\--------------

Sakusa’s eyes widen in amusement at the remark as she smugly flashed him a Cheshire-like grin. She really, really hadn’t failed to surprise him.

\--------------

_Giving the bunny girl up on the moon a companion huh_

**Oh hell no. I changed my mind, she yeeted to Pluto**

_Pluto already has Mickey_

**I never expected your humour to be this bad**

_I’m just stating facts_

**Istg you just killed my whole mood**

\-------------

Sakusa chuckled while she buried her face in her left palm, groaning in distress.

\-------------

_So what happened on Earth earlier on_

**Hmm, nah. Too lazy to type out the whole story**

_Are you serious_

**Unapologetically, yes. Ask Miya abt it.**

_I’ll pass_

**You game?**

_Stopped league years ago_

**Doesn’t matter. You’re in**

\-------------

If Doraemon’s 4D Pocket existed in real life, this would be it. Her clutch was like a small portal: you name it, she got it. With a deft motion of her nimble fingers, a mini game station was set up. A harmonica tune rang in his earbuds, blocking out the pounding music in the background. A pastel blue joy-con found its way into his hand, with ‘Overcooked 2’ flashing on the screen. 

She sure had came readily prepared. Which made it even more hard to tell her he had never played the much well-known game before. Especially with the fire burning with passion in her eyes.

 _It’s just a cooking game. How difficult could it be?_ Sakusa thought to himself.

The girl gestured him to take off one of his earbuds. “I hope you’re ready for this. No stopping till 3 stars.” she shouted.

Sakusa braced himself for the hell of ride he never saw coming.

If noise-cancelling earbuds were designed to cut out unwanted background noise, why could he still hear her shouts every now and then? Particularly when he screwed up. 

“Fire! Holy shit it’s overcooked!”

“Quick quick the veg! Chop the veg!”

“Meat in the pan! Not the stove!”

“Dishes! Do the dishes!”

“Bruh what the fuck.”

He must really suck for her to get so worked up like that.

The game developers should really add a voice chat function to the game too.

After a few rounds of fumbling around the joy-con like a nervous wreck and failed attempts in dodging daggers shot his way, Sakusa slowly got into the groove of the frantic kitchen chaos.

They even managed to clear a number of levels with maxed out stars, much to her, and his surprise.

After an hour or so of intense concentration, they took a break, popping a joint or two while stretching out their stiff bodies. So much to games helping one relax and destress.

Sakusa felt something brush against his arm slightly while extending his arms out to the side. He turned to find her mirroring his actions, both wide eyed at the sudden contact, darting their eyes away quickly.

That’s weird. How could they come in contact with each other if they were not in close range?

Oh.

They must have been so absorbed in the game that they didn’t realise that they were only a seat apart. Maybe that’s why he could hear her during the game too.

But it didn’t feel uncomfortable. She must’ve felt the same, because none made the move to retreat back into their respective individual bubbles.

They remained like that for a while, quietly enjoying each other’s presence.

She silently scanned the surroundings like a hawk and reached out for her clutch when she deemed the coast clear.

A clear flat water bottle in the size of a notebook with transparent liquid appeared in her hands. He had to admit, it was a smart move.

She poured the clear liquid onto the bottle cap instead of drinking it directly from the bottle. _As expected, even her way of drinking water is interesting_ , Sakusa thought.

She turned to him and motioned the bottle to him. _Want some?_

He shook his head. _No, but thank you._

She narrowed her eyes in disapproval at him. _Psh._ _You’re no fun._

Maybe the competitive spirit ignited in him hadn’t died down yet. He clicked his tongue and reached to the bottle cap of the beer on the table. _Fine, whatever._

She smirked at his submission. _Now that’s more like it._

He froze at the pungent smell empowering his nostrils. This isn’t water; this is alcohol, a high percentage one in fact. _Soju?_

She arched her eyebrows slyly and raised her bottle cap. _Hope you like it. Cheers to the great game._

He chuckled. She had really never failed to surprise him. _Cheers._

It was funny how they could understand each other by just using body language, by just looking into each other’s eyes; no words needed.

They downed a couple more shots, along with a few glasses of somaek made with the leftover beer. The bitter aftertaste burning down the back of the throat started to turn pleasantly sweet. Perhaps he enjoyed it more than he thought he would.

Sakusa trailed his eyes over her figure who had made her way to lean against the balcony railings. She titled her head back at him. _Come on._

He joined her on the sides to spectate the sea of bobbing heads below, crazy neon lights bouncing off the walls. He had never paid much attention to action below, but now that he was, it felt he was at the top of a lighthouse, looking over the black rolling waves rise and collapse as they crash into the shore under the meteor shower that lit up the night sky.

The glowing streaks flashing around also made him realise how he had never paid much attention to the girl beside him. Well yes, he did have the basic information about her: the friend of Atsumu’s companion, the person who he was able to feel comfortable with, the person who he was intrigued with. But those were just the surface of the frozen lake.

Now that they were just an arm’s width apart from each other, he realised that besides than the shiny dangling metals hanging on her ear, he never noticed her sharp yet soft features, the small heart tattoo on the side of her middle finger, or how she could probably reach his shoulders if she stood straight.

He also realised that he didn’t know her name.

Maybe it was the alcohol running in his system, but for once Sakusa wanted to break through the thick icy surface and dive deep into the cold, dark waters lurking beneath; he wanted to know her more, in more fine detail. He wanted to know what was on her mind, how she liked her coffee in the morning, or if was she a fan of mint chocolate too.

He must’ve been staring at her for too long because when he snapped back to his senses, she was looking at him with a look he couldn’t quite decipher. It was like a mix of a questioning and amusement. Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

Her soft smile relieved him of his worry.

Sakusa followed the direction she motioned with her chin. A girl had her back pressed against a blond’s chest, both grinding against each other, hands all over one another. “Fucking lovebirds,” he heard her mutter, which he hummed in agreement.

They continued to blatantly judge the odd intoxicated specimens on the dance floor, giving unspoken commentaries exclusive to them both. As if they weren’t the odd ones out.

Their private little show was cut short when a wasted bloke who obviously had too many drinks than he could handle stumbled on his steps and spilled his booze all over her, slurring half-assed apologies as he tried to cling on her to get back his footing, which was immediately denied with Sakusa stepping in as a human barricade. Thankfully his friends on the other table were responsible enough to collect him back quickly at the sound of her yelp.

Sakusa silently cursed Atsumu for running off with yet another packet tissue of his. “It’s alright, I’ll get some from the bar, you stay here to be on the lookout.” she shouted over the deafening music, swiftly making her way down before he could stop her.

He kept his eyes on the girl trudging her way through the sea of bodies towards to the bar, waiting at the side for the bartender to come back with some napkins. It was incomprehensible why it took so long for just a few napkins. Don’t they have some under the counter? 

His eyes narrowed at the sight of a sleazy dude sliding his way next to her, too close for comfort, leaning against the bartop lazily as he eyed her from head to toe. A few buttons undone, a glimpse of his bare chest peeking out, hair slicked back to reveal his undercut; trouble arrived faster than the damn napkins.

She paid him no attention, ignoring the suggestive looks thrown her way.

The guy lifted his right hand to trail his fingers across her jawline flirtatiously, which she flinched in response. She swatted his hands away and glared at him, taking a few steps back to keep a gap between them.

 _Looks like she can take care of herself_ , Sakusa assured himself.

Or maybe she couldn’t.

He felt his breath hitch in his throat when the guy snaked his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him, chests slightly brushing against each other. He smirked at the shock painted on her face, squeezing her waist beneath his palms more as she tried to pry away from his strong grip.

What a fucking asshole.

Without a second thought, Sakusa reached to the bottle cap lying on the table, took his aim with one eye shut closed, and made his shot.

Bullseye.

The guy winced at the sudden strike, releasing her from his grip as he massaged the sore spot, whipping his head around furiously to find the culprit. It was his turn to be painted in shock as she landed a resounding slap across his face and pointed up towards the balcony where he found a man with hooded eyes, half of his face covered in a white face mask looming with murderous intent, flipping a middle finger at him.

_Fuck off, you filthy bastard._

Before he could even register what was happening, he was hit with another strike as she kicked him mercilessly in the groin, wilting and whimpering onto the floor without an ounce of dignity.

_Nice kill._

The girl looked up to Sakusa and gave him a thumbs up. _Nice work._

He nodded in acknowledgment. _Nice kick._

The barista finally appeared with the napkins after what seemed like a decade, and she smiled sweetly at the horrified look on the young chap as his eyes landed at the crumpled ball of shame on the ground, thanking him for the long overdue napkins.

Sakusa felt the weight on his shoulders disappear when she plopped down onto the cushion, a seat away from him. He tilted his head to her and was met with her eyes, gleaming with mischief. They held each other’s gaze for what felt like an eternity before bursting into hiccups of laughter.

She handed him the pastel blue joy-con. _Ready for round two?_

Maybe he finally understood what Atsumu meant by the night is still young.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“My, would you look who’s here grabbing lunch with me instead of being holed up in the high mountains.”

Sakusa pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Says the one who actually has the time to spare me instead eating takeouts in the club room.”

Atsumu let out a dramatic gasp and placed his hand over his chest in dismay. “Oh Omi-Omi, you know I’d make time for yer in a heartbeat.”

“Save that for your new girl.”

Sakusa sometimes wondered if there was a strife between the university and the founding professors during the planning of the campus, because why was the faculty of Science and Engineering all the way up on the hill, isolated from everyone and everything?

But who was he to complain with the generous scholarship offered.

“By the way, what went down with your new catch and a bitch?” The smell of fermented bean paste and seaweed wafting from the cafeteria awakened his long hibernating palate. Perhaps the long walk down the hill under the blazing sun wasn’t that bad after all.

“Language, Omi-kun.” Atsumu clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“That’s the only piece of information I have.”

“About that,” the blond hummed in thought. “Why don’t you ask your new lady friend yourself?”

“I don’t meet her outside the nightclub.”

“Yer poor thing. Well, lucky you! Today’s your first day.”

Sakusa’s question was answered when his eyes fell onto the figure with an uninterested look slumped on a seat, scrolling her phone, the total opposite of the girl next to her who waved animatedly at the sight of Atsumu.

Maybe the phrase ‘fifth time’s the charm’ wasn’t meant for Atsumu at all, it was meant for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Bunny girl up on the moon: In Chinese mythology, Chang’e 嫦娥 is the moon goddess. There are many versions of the legend, but basically she stole an elixir of immortality from her husband, the legendary archer Hou Yi 后羿, and floated to the moon. She has a rabbit as her companion called the Jade Rabbit 玉兔. Fun fact: The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in memory of Chang’e!
> 
> Somaek 소맥 : aka soju bomb, a beer cocktail made with soju and beer (maekju 맥주)


End file.
